Accounting Associate

Role: Accounting Associate Location: Los Angeles or Atlanta Salary: $100,000 + Type: Freelance About Synapse Synapse Virtual Production empowers studios, filmmakers, and educators to unlock new creative possibilities through virtual production. From facility design and systems integration to software development, education, and strategic consulting, we help shape the future of content creation. With our commitment to education at the core, we partner with universities and research institutions to develop talent pipelines, lead training initiatives, and expand the industry’s reach, making virtual production more accessible, sustainable, and future-ready.​ Our award-winning team blends cinematic craft with real-time technology, harnessing AI, game engines, and custom pipelines to build scalable, next-gen workflows. Overview The Accounting Associate supports the VP, Finance & Accounting in the day-to-day execution of Synapse Virtual Production's accounting operations. This role is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, supporting monthly close activities, and ensuring the timely processing of transactions across the company's growing multi-location and multi-entity structure. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, mulit-entity production environment. They bring a strong foundation in accounting operations, enjoy solving problems, and can effectively balance recurring transactional work with evolving business needs as Synapse continues to scale. Key Responsibilities Accounts Receivable Create and maintain customer, vendor, and project records in NetSuite. Generate and distribute client invoices. Record incoming payments and apply cash receipts accurately. Monitor outstanding receivables and support collections efforts by identifying aging balances and escalating issues to the VP as needed. Assist with customer account reconciliations and billing inquiries. Accounts Payable Review and process vendor invoices through Tipalti and other payment platforms. Record bills, payments, and expenses in NetSuite. Ensure appropriate documentation, coding, and approvals are in place prior to payment. Assist with weekly payment runs and vendor communication. Maintain accurate vendor records and support 1099 reporting processes. Payroll & Employee Expense Support Record Wrapbook payroll transactions and related entries in NetSuite. Support payroll reconciliation activities across Rippling and Wrapbook. Assist with employee reimbursements, credit card reconciliations, and expense reporting processes. Maintain supporting schedules and documentation for payroll-related accounting entries. Credit Cards & Cash Management Record corporate credit card activity and ensure transactions are coded accurately. Prepare monthly credit card reconciliations for review. Support cash management processes, including tracking account activity and preparing documentation for VP review. Assist with approved funding and payment requests. Month-End Close & Financial Reporting Prepare account reconciliations and supporting schedules for monthly close. Assist with fixed asset tracking, depreciation, and amortization schedules. Prepare recurring journal entries and supporting documentation. Support the accuracy and completeness of financial records across all entities. Assist with audit requests and external reporting requirements as needed. Production & Project Accounting Support Assist with project setup and wrap-out processes. Support production accounting activities, including project cost tracking and reporting. Pull, organize, and format project financial data for leadership review. Collaborate with Production, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure accurate project-level financial reporting. Process Improvement & Systems Help maintain accounting procedures, documentation, and internal controls. Identify opportunities to improve workflows, automation, and reporting efficiency. Support the adoption and use of AI-enabled tools and technologies that enhance accounting operations and accuracy. Contribute to building scalable accounting processes that support Synapse's continued growth. Qualifications 3–5+ years of accounting, bookkeeping, or finance operations experience. Experience with NetSuite or a comparable cloud-based ERP system required. Familiarity with Tipalti, Wrapbook, Rippling, or similar platforms preferred. Experience supporting production, media, entertainment, agency, or project-based businesses strongly preferred. Strong Excel and financial systems skills. Solid understanding of accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, and month-end close processes. Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and follow-through. Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment. Comfortable working independently while partnering closely with leadership. Interest in process improvement, automation, and AI-enabled workflows.